8/29/2013 |
Gennett impressing with offense, improved defenseIt is a small sample, to be sure. But so far, Scooter Gennett has been better than Rickie Weeks at the plate and better than Weeks in the field, leading many to wonder whether the Brewers would be better with Gennett at second base on Opening Day next season.

8/29/2013 |
Papi's slump reaches 22 at-bats after hitless nightDavid Ortiz rarely goes on hitless streaks like the one he's currently in. He rarely is the guy to strike out with the game on the line. Thursday night was one of those times. Ortiz went 0-for-4 and left three runners on base as the Red Sox lost to the Orioles, 3-2.

8/29/2013 |
Bourjos hitting ball hard, but frustrated with resultsPeter Bourjos struck out to end the seventh on Thursday and, in a rare display of emotion by the mild-mannered center fielder, spiked his bat on the Tropicana Field turf and watched it roll all the way to the Angels' dugout.

8/29/2013 |
Locke: 'Step back' is right move for PiratesJeff Locke was optioned to Double-A Altoona on Wednesday, the day after his latest short start, but he'll be back to the Majors soon and he acknowledged that a skipped start is a good long-term decision.

8/29/2013 |
Cole can't get run support after shaky startThe offense couldn't build an attack against Yovani Gallardo, Gerrit Cole settled in too late and the Pirates are a game back in the division after Thursday's 4-0 loss to the Brewers.

8/29/2013 |
A's-Tigers tilt showcases big league dramaCapped with an unpredictable 7-6 walk-off win for Detroit, the A's-Tigers four-game series this week in Motown was a compelling showcase for the drama Major League Baseball can provide as summer turns to fall.

8/29/2013 |
Disappointing season taking toll on SciosciaThe Angels entered the season with sky-high expectations and poised to make a run at the postseason. At the end of August, the reality is much more bleak for the Angels and manager Mike Scioscia.

8/29/2013 |
Mets get prospect Black to complete Bucs tradeThe Mets received on Thursday right-handed reliever Vic Black as the player to be named in their recent trade with the Pirates. The deal in its entirety is Marlon Byrd, John Buck and cash to the Pirates in exchange for Black and infield prospect Dilson Herrera.

8/29/2013 |
Submarine pitchers Ziegler, Tekulve enjoy bondBrad Ziegler and Kent Tekulve had never met and a generation separated their playing careers. But when the two sat down together to talk recently in the visitors' dugout at PNC Park, the shared bond between the two was evident.

8/29/2013 |
Torres fills in for Harvey with blowout supportIn his first game as Matt Harvey's replacement on Thursday, Carlos Torres, coupled with an offensive onslaught, helped the Mets easily beat the Phillies, 11-3, to split the four-game series.

8/29/2013 |
Vargas leads Angels to shutout, series victoryWith seven shutout innings, while leading the Angels to a 2-0 victory over the Rays at Tropicana Field, Jason Vargas put on a display. Vargas gave up only two hits, walked three, struck out seven batters and breezed through the seventh in his fourth start since missing nearly two months on the disabled list, moving to 8-5 with a 3.54 ERA in 18 starts.

8/29/2013 |
Following injury problems, Indians release MyersThe Brett Myers experiment has come to an end. Prior to Thursday's game against the Braves, the Indians released Myers from his contract after activating him from the 60-day disabled list.

8/29/2013 |
Bautista aims to empower Dominican youthJose Bautista started the Bautista Family Education Fund to help empower young baseball players in the Dominican Republic by providing scholarships to be put toward higher education, and he held a golf fundraiser Thursday to benefit the fund and the Jays Care Foundation.

8/29/2013 |
Miggy expects to play Friday after early exitMiguel Cabrera left Thursday's 7-6 win over the Athletics after the fifth inning when he aggravated his left abdominal wall strain, which has bothered him for more than a month, but he expects to play Friday against the Indians.

8/29/2013 |
Torii stuns A's, picks up Scherzer in walk-offMax Scherzer has spent weeks insisting that his historic win-loss record is a team accomplishment. His no-decision Thursday might have been his best evidence yet. After he gave up six runs in five frames, his team came back, and Torii Hunter walked Detroit off with a three-run homer.

8/29/2013 |
Deduno, Ramirez injured in loss to RoyalsThe Twins had two players leave Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Royals with injuries, as right fielder Wilkin Ramirez exited with a left shin contusion and right-hander Samuel Deduno left his start after three innings with right shoulder soreness. Ramirez is day to day, and Deduno said he wasn't sure if he'll make his next scheduled start.

8/29/2013 |
Reds leave St. Louis with sense of urgencyCincinnati -- now 75-59 and third in the National League Central -- came to St. Louis 2 1/2 games out of first place and left town 3 1/2 behind the first-place Cardinals. The Reds' focus is now on cleaning up their play with the final stretch of the regular season looming ahead.

8/29/2013 |
Date set for 2014 First-Year Player DraftMajor League Baseball announced on Thursday that the 2014 Draft will begin on Thursday, June 5. The typical format for the Draft would have the opening two rounds on that Thursday, rounds 3-10 on Friday and the remaining 30 rounds coming on Saturday.

8/29/2013 |
O's negotiating to add another bat from waiver wireThe Orioles are aggressively trying to add a hitter, with multiple waivers claims out and at least two that could potentially help bolster the club's lineup down the stretch in Seattle's Michael Morse and Minnesota's Josh Willingham.

8/29/2013 |
Speedy Iglesias working on baserunning skillsThe basepaths at Comerica Park were largely deserted Wednesday afternoon when Jeff Cox was working with Jose Iglesias. It wasn't as animated as the Spring Training sessions Cox had with Austin Jackson, but he was still getting his point across: Baserunning is a fundamental skill, and to some degree, it's a mindset.